Dear Marion,

Thank you for your letter.  I was surprised by Mr. Gordon's
e-mail which I forwarded. I had expected the Nantucket
Building Department to delay the inspection until just
a few days before the next hearing, which is scheduled
for April 21.  Maybe Mr. Pucci was stern and cautioned
them about not risking further embarrassment. Of course,
there is room for much mischief. I harbor no illusions.
Where the Nantucketers have been so passionately prejudiced
and hostile, it will be difficult for them to act rationally
and judiciously. 

This evening I completed our federal income tax return.
I will postpone starting on the Massachusetts tax forms
to tomorrow morning. It's uncanny how the attention focussed
on accounting gimmicks and bureaucratic trivia paralyses
the mind, - at least mine, - to the point where there are
not ideas sufficient even for a simple letter. Perhaps
tomorrow will be better. This evening the mind seems empty
and the future appears very uncertain.

Jochen